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ARE VETS RUNNING SCARED OF THE TRUTH AND SPREADING MISINFORMATION TO DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE?

Last week I was invited to go on Good Morning Britain (GMB), an ITV breakfast show in the UK. I am the author of two best-selling books on the science of vaccine damage in our companion animals, namely What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines, and Shock to the System.

I have been running Canine Health Concern, a non-profit organisation, since 1994. CHC’s aims are to share information about the causes of health and ill health in the modern dog in order to help owners raise long-lived healthy dogs.

The show has been re-scheduled several times, and now it has been ‘postponed’.

Originally GMB wanted me to defend the claims made in a sarcastic and biased Guardian newspaper article (link below). This is the briefing given to me via email by Emma Creamer, a researcher on the programme (email copied in without editing):

Here is what our vet will say:

VET DAVID GRANT – Ex Director of RSPCA Harmsworth RSPCA Animal hospital – vet for over 50 yrs –
* It’s so important to have pets vaccinated, especially puppies in the first year, it’s like the measles debate. It’s fair to other pet owners – we don’t want lots of dogs/puppies dying from preventable diseases. These illness are fatal and this can be prevented.
* Parvovirus is truly horrible – outbreaks of diseases, dogs getting ill very easily. Parvo stays around for a long time, so your dog would just need to be out for a walk.
*You won’t see many dogs with Distemper now because it’s been almost totally eradicated because of vaccines, it used to be very common. It’s a horrible disease, cough, runny eyes, nose, fever, won’t eat, get pneumonia, fits & muscle convulsions. Very high mortality rate. It just takes a few people to stop vaccinating. It’s so dangerous.
*All the diseases that we vaccinate
*Never seen a vaccine reaction and i’ve was a vet for over 50yrs
*World Small Animal Veterinary Assoc. We no longer recommend against vaccinating every year. WSAVA Guidelines
* Never seen reactions to vaccines in over 50 years.
* We seen human trends and medi al breakthroughs moving into vetinary medine such as extended life care and end of life treatment for poorly pets but this is something that really isn’t helpful.
* The idea of autism in dogs doesn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny.
*Any decrease in vaccinations is due in large part to the misinformation spread by the ‘anti-vax’ movement and is responsible for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases
And here is The Guardian article – it’s not very longhttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/24/anti-vaxxers-new-target-their-sights-pets

Prior to receiving a call and email from Emma Creamer, I had received several calls from Nicolette Amet, another researcher on the programme. She wanted to know how I’d answer the above points from David Grant (which I hadn’t at this stage seen; she talked me through it), and the Guardian piece, so I gave my responses verbally. I would like to emphasise that all the researchers were very pleasant and I judged them to be genuine and keen to get a balanced story.

Why I don’t vaccinate my dogs

I told Nicolette that I don’t vaccinate my dogs and haven’t vaccinated for the past 25 years. None of my dogs has died of vaccine-preventable diseases, but they have died from vaccine-associated diseases.

* Oliver died aged four of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain with lesions throughout the brain and central nervous system. A symptom of encephalitis is called paresis, which means paralysis of one or more limbs). Oliver’s back legs were paralysed when we woke up on the morning of 1st September 1991, and he was dead by 4pm. Encephalitis is an acknowledged vaccine reaction. This happened within three months of a vaccine event.

* Prudence, who died aged six of leukaemia. Leukaemia is a potential vaccine sequel. I first discovered this when I was sent a paper by W Jean Dodds, an American vet and researcher, US Dog World, March, 1995:

* Samson, who died of cancer aged five. He had paralysed rear legs after his second puppy shot. After his first and only booster, Samson’s head swelled up like a football and he ran around the house screaming all night. By the age of two he was diagnosed with autoimmune disease, and cancer saw him off. All of these conditions are acknowledged to be potentially vaccine-induced. See references later.

I choose not to vaccinate because I consider vaccines to be more dangerous than the diseases we vaccinate against. Vaccines are known to cause autoimmune diseases, cancer, leukaemia, allergies and brain damage. This is the REAL epidemic in the modern dog: vaccine-induced immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases. I will not risk vaccines. Since I stopped vaccinating my dogs, I have had the joy of living with long-lived, healthy dogs.

Long-lived dogs … years of health and joy

Since I stopped vaccinating and started feeding real food 25 years ago, I have had Golden Retrievers living to the ages of 17 (Chappie and Sophie) and 16 (Gwinnie). Edward and Daniel lived to 13 and their vet bills amounted to only £10 per year. They were never ill. Golden Retrievers typically die between the ages of eight and 12.

No one-size-fits-all vaccine programme

I emphasised to the researchers when asked that I wouldn’t encourage others not to vaccinate, unless they do it properly and give their dogs alternative protection. I told them about research showing that nutrition is the primary defence against infection and cited studies, including a WHO study, which showed that various vitamins and minerals are anti-infective, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and selenium. I told her that I also use anti-viral and anti-bacterial herbs for my dogs.

I also printed off information to hand to the vet on the show about titer testing by Professors Michael Day and Ronald Schultz. These would be of particular interest, I would have thought, to Mr Grant as he has no doubt seen dogs dying of parvovirus in rescue kennel environments. (See http://www.petwelfarealliance.org/vaccine-research.html)

I told the researcher that there is no one-size-fits-all vaccine programme for dogs (which the WSAVA makes clear). In rescue environments, where viral diseases are hard to get rid of, vaccination would be a necessary risk. I told the researcher that my heart went out to David Grant, having seen him on a Youtube video talking about the terrible suffering inflicted on dogs. He looked broken. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxYq4JtPIM

I could understand why this man would want us to vaccinate all of our dogs. But I also wanted to share research to explain to him why many of us choose not to, and what we are doing instead to protect our dogs.

Canine Health Concern branches around the UK also hold VacciCheck clinics, where antibodies are measured so owners can be sure their dogs are protected. In our Cornwall branch, for example, all but two dogs show circulating antibodies to distemper and parvo – even the three-month-old UNVACCINATED puppies.

I said that if people were going to feed kibble, which is cooked at high temperature and extruded (the moisture is sucked out), then their dogs wouldn’t be receiving the nutrients they need to fight infection, and not vaccinating wasn’t a good option. Unfortunately, without adequate nutrients, these dogs would also be more at risk of a vaccine reaction, since poor nutrition will compromise the immune system (as stated in veterinary vaccine datasheets).

Parvovirus suffering

With regard to the suffering caused by parvovirus, I referred Nicolette, Emma, and then Rhianna to research published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1990, (Ian Tizard, Risks Associated with use of live vaccines, JAVMA, vol 196, No 11, pages 1851-1858, 1990) which suggests that the parvovirus epidemic in dogs was caused by the vaccine programme. Parvovirus appeared across several continents at the same time, and Tizard stated:

“Prior to 1978, few parvoviruses had been isolated from dogs, and none were considered pathogenic … in the spring of 1978, severe disease attributable to a parvovirus was recognised almost simultaneously in dogs in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe … selective pressure and subsequent mutation more likely occurred in a tissue culture environment than through dog-to-dog passage. Thus it is speculated that CPV might have arisen through rapid accidental passage of FPV or mink enteritis virus in a canine cell culture line. Cells infected with the new mutant may then have been transmitted globally through a contaminated biological product such as a vaccine … it is interesting to speculate on the consequences of this host range extension had it involved human beings instead of dogs.”

It’s also interesting to see what Tizard had to say about the adenovirus (hepatitis) vaccine in dogs: “Canine adenovirus 1 vaccine strains … can multiply in the renal tubular cells of dogs and cause subclinical kidney infection. As a result, virus may be shed in the urine of vaccinated dogs and may spread to other animals.”

Tizard finishes his critique – in 1990 – with the following words: “The best way to ensure that such hazards do not develop in the future is to seek alternatives to modified-live products. Modified-live vaccines have served us well, but their time is past. We can no longer afford them.”

MLV vaccines might actually be the reason why outbreaks occur in vaccinated kennel/rescue environments. They cause immunosuppression (meaning dogs going into the shelter environment may be sitting ducks for disease because the vaccine temporarily nobbles their immune system). Also, MLV vaccines can revert to virulence (they can start outbreaks).

After learning of RD-114 contamination in several un-named brands of distemper vaccine in the UK and Japan, I contacted the UK’s regulator, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, immediately, to ask what it was going to do about this problem. The VMD called a meeting with the European Medicines Control Agency. They decided to just leave it there for now. I’m advised that it wouldn’t be difficult to screen RD-114 out, but it would be difficult and time-consuming to licence a clean product, which would leave manufacturers without revenue for a few years.

Retroviruses are associated with cancer and leukaemia. The researchers continued with their research and, in 2014, another paper was published to confirm that RD-114 could conceivably start another new vaccine-induced disease in dogs, just as contaminated vaccines had probably started parvovirus, a killer disease in dogs that we are still having to contend with decades down the line. It stated:

“Therefore, it is possible that RD-114 virus infects dogs following inoculation with contaminated vaccines and induces proliferative diseases and immune suppression, if it adapts to grow efficiently in dogs. In this review, we summarize the incidence of contamination of RD-114 virus in live attenuated vaccines and potential risks of infection with RD-114 virus in dogs.” (Contamination of live attenuated vaccines with an infectious feline endogenous retrovirus (RD-114 virus), Arch Virol (2014) 159:399–404 DOI 10.1007/s00705-013-1809-1)

THE REAL PROBLEM:

Vets are over-vaccinating our dogs

Each time I spoke to each of the researchers, I took great pains to say that the real problem is that vets are over-vaccinating our dogs, and that vaccines can cause harm. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has stated this many times. In their puppy vaccine summary they said: “any reaction to a vaccine that is not needed is unacceptable”.

The WSAVA says that we should vaccinate against the core diseases of parvovirus, distemper and canine infectious hepatitis no more than every three years, but that immunity to these viruses is likely to be lifelong. The add: “This is often taken to mean that we should vaccinate every three years – but this is not the case. If the dog is already immune to these three core diseases, re-vaccinating will not add any extra immunity”.

This does not stop our vets. As far as I can see, at least half of the UK’s veterinary practices vaccinate annually – unnecessarily – or every three years (which is also too much). The professional veterinary bodies leave vaccine protocols up to individual vets. There is no-one in the UK seeking to reduce the vaccine load on our companion animals. Except the pet owners who are doing the research that vets should be doing.

Each year, MSD has a ‘Vaccine Amnesty’ sales and marketing drive in which they, through vets, offer a full puppy or kitten series for the price of a booster. There is absolutely no science to support giving adult dogs a series of shots. A series is given to puppies and kittens to try to find the earliest time when maternal immunity wanes (maternal immunity will block the vaccine virus as if it is a natural infection, so the vaccine can’t provoke immunity). This does not apply to adult animals. It’s a BOGOF sales campaign that is totally unsupported by the science. Dr Ron Schultz of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccine Guidelines Group warns that this is unnecessary and potentially harmful.

The “anti-vaxx” movement (which is what the vaccine industry and its allies likes to call those of us whose pets and children have suffered vaccine reactions and who have the audacity to do the research and actually talk about it), ‘spread to pets’ when vaccines first started harming and killing our dogs, which would be soon after vaccines were introduced for dogs many decades ago. This is because all vaccines come with inherent risks. This is why the human vaccine industry benefits from indemnity against vaccine damage via their governments. Vaccine damage has a special legal class of its own. Vaccine damage compensation schemes exist around the world.

The point, however, is that those of us who seriously question pet vaccines – especially in view of their over-use – should be allowed to ask questions and share the known research without being called names by the profession that professes to care about our pets. Further, we do not have the research to rely on which would enable us to major on the autism debate, so we’re not always harking on about autism in dogs, although questions have been asked by pet owners and vets alike.

What we would like, however, is the veterinary industry to look at the existing research which clearly shows that vaccines cause autoimmune diseases, allergies, cancer and brain damage.

One on-line commentator under the Telegraph piece did make a valid point. Paul Cook wrote:

“Although vaccines do not cause autism, the statement that ‘dogs cannot get autism’ is false. Research is conducted on animals all the time, which relies on the fact that animals can have autism.”

Vaccine damage

I felt that by choosing to push the show towards discussion of autism in dogs, Good Morning Britain was in danger of missing the point. Although autism in dogs is not proven (which is not to say that it isn’t possible), vaccines can and do cause autoimmunity, allergies, cancer and brain damage.

Possible adverse events include failure to immunize, anaphylaxis, immunosuppression, autoimmune disorders, transient infections, and/or long-term infected carrier states. In addition, a causal association in cats between injection sites and the subsequent development of a malignant tumor is the subject of ongoing research.

Dr Ronald D Schultz (2007) provides this list of adverse events known to be induced by vaccines (American spelling): [I have underlined the points relating to brain damage]

Vaccines and Atopy (allergies)

1. Frick OL, Brooks DL. Immunoglobulin E antibodies to pollens augmented in dogs by virus vaccines. Am J Vet Res 44: 440, 1981.
2. An augmented immune response to vaccination is seen in dogs with pre-existing inhalant allergies (i.e., atopy) to pollens. Furthermore, the increasing current problems with allergic and immunological diseases have been linked to the introduction of MLV vaccines more than 20 years ago. While other environmental factors no doubt have a contributing role, the introduction of these vaccine antigens and their environmental shedding may provide the final insult that exceeds the immunological tolerance threshold of some individuals in the pet population. (Tizard 1. Risks associated with use of live vaccines. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1990;196:1851-1858.) (Dodds WJ. More bumps on the vaccine road. Adv Vet Med 1999; 41: 715-732.)
3. http://veteriner.fusabil.org/pdf/pdf_FUSABIL_604.pdf – Acute Angioedema Following Immunization Against Parvovirus in a German Shepherd Dog and Clinical Remission With Treatment
4. Familial predisposition to atopy is reflected in the Merck Manual which advises that a child with, or from a family with, B and/or T cell immunodeficiencies should not receive live virus vaccines due to the risk of fatality. Merck states: “Features of B cell deficiencies include respiratory or food allergies; features of T cell deficiencies include heart disease; and features of combined T and B cell deficiencies include dermatitis, neurological deterioration and eczema.”
5. “Multiple vaccinations shift this delicate balance [between Th1 and Th2], favoring the development of atopy and, perhaps, autoimmunity through vaccine-induced polyclonal activation leading to autoantibody production. An increase in the incidence of childhood atopic diseases may be expected as a result of concurrent vaccination strategies that induce a Th2-biased immune response. What should be discussed is whether the prize of a reduction of common infectious diseases through a policy of mass vaccination from birth is worth the price of a higher prevalence of atopy.” http://vran.org/health-risks/anaphylaxis-allergies-and-asthma/multiple-vaccination-effects-on-atopy/
6. There is a correlation between hypothyroidism and IgA and IgM deficiency http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15925836
7. “Expression and characterization of a low molecular weight recombinant human gelatin: development of a substitute for animal-derived gelatin with superior features.” “Gelatin is used as a stabilizer in several vaccines. Allergic reactions to gelatins have been reported, including anaphylaxis. These gelatins are derived from animal tissues and thus represent a potential source of contaminants that cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.” Olsen D, et al, Protein Expr Purif.; 40(2):346-57 – 4/1/2005
8. Professor Tara Shirakawa, published the results of a Japanese study on 867 infants who received BCG vaccine. Thirty-six percent developed allergies. The number of TB cases in the province didn’t increase, but the incidence of severe allergy did. (Science, vol 275, 3 Jan 1997)
9. A number of studies have linked atopic dermatitis in humans to vaccines, specifically the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, measles infection, and the BCG (tuberculosis) shot http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14690341, https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:104044
10. Pediatric Allergy & Immunology (19 (1): 46-52, February 2008), looked at the potential causal factor in the development of atopic disease due to the effect of pertussis immunization on specific IgE antibodies. All associations between vaccination and atopic disorders were positive. The report concluded: “Egg-related allergy is common, particularly in children with asthma or general allergies, and may be as high as 40% in children with atopic dermatitis. The risk of egg-related allergy after vaccination depends on the presence of egg protein in the final product.”
11. Allergy 1978, Jun:33(3):155-9 reported that aluminium phosphate stimulates the IgE response in guinea pigs to tetanus toxoid. “It is hypothesized that the regular application of aluminium compound-containing vaccines … could be one of the factors leading to the observed increase of allergic diseases.”
12. In Pediatr Allergy Immunol 1994 May;5(2):118-23, the role of aluminium for IgG and IgE responses to pertussis toxin, as well as side effects, was investigated in 49 children with known atopy status. The addition of aluminium to pertussis vaccine was associated with strong IgG antibody response, and a stronger IgE antibody response. The study concluded that the role of immunization in the development of allergy merits further studies.
13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2998561/ looks at the role of IgE antibodies in atopic dermatitis and refers to post-vaccination specific IgE responses to tetanus and diphtheria toxoid, which could result in adverse events to future vaccination or exposure to the diseases.
14. In a paper published in January 2010, Day acknowledges the cumulative effects and consequences of repeated vaccination are unknown saying that “few investigations have studied the phenomenon of ‘inflammageing’ (the effect of cumulative antigenic exposure and onset of late life inflammatory disease)” in dogs and cats. Day, M.J. – Ageing, immunosenescence and inflammageing in the dog and cat. J Comp Pathol. (Epub ahead of print): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20005526?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.P ubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=2 –
15. Petrik MS, Wong MC, Tabata RC, Garry RF, Shaw CA (2007). Aluminum adjuvant linked to gulf war illness induces motor neuron death in mice. Neuromolecular Med 9 (1): 83–100. doi:10.1385/NMM:9:1:83. PMID 17114826
16. H Odelram, M Granstrom, S Hedenskog, K Duchen, B Bjorkstein, Immunogloblin E and G responses to pertussis toxin after booster immunization in relation to atopy, local reactions and aluminium content of the vaccines, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 5 (2), 118-123, May 1994
17. Cribbs, D.H.; Ghochikyan, A.; Vasilevko, V.; Tran, M.; Petrushina, I.; Sadzikava, N.; Babikyan, D.; Kesslak, P.; Kieber-Emmons, T.; Cotman, C.W.; Agadjanyan, M.G. Adjuvant-dependent modulation of Th1 and Th2 responses to immunization with beta-amyloid. Int Immunol. 2003, 15(4), 505-514.
18. Shoenfeld, Y.; Agmon-Levin, N. ‘ASIA’ – Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants. J Autoimmun. 2011, 36(1), 4-8.
19. Israeli, E.; Agmon-Levin, N.; Blank, M.; Shoenfeld, Y. Adjuvants and autoimmunity. Lupus. 2009, 18(13), 1217-1225.
20. Exley, C.; Swarbrick, L.; Gherardi, R.K.; Authier, F.J. A role for the body burden of aluminium in vaccine-associated macrophagic myofasciitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Med Hypotheses. 2009, 72(2), 135-139.
21. Walton, J.R. A longitudinal study of rats chronically exposed to aluminum at human dietary levels. Neurosci Lett. 2007, 412(1), 29-33.
22. Ohmori K et al: IgE reactivity to vaccine components in dogs that developed immediate-type allergic reactions after vaccination. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2005 104:249-256.
23. Vitale CB, Gross TL, Magro CM: Vaccine-induced ischemic dermatopathy in the dog. Vet Dermatol 1999 10:131-142.

The show changes its angle

I was contacted by three GMB researchers in all, and each time was asked to repeat how I would respond to assertions made by David Grant. The programmes slant moved on. Now they wanted to talk about autism in dogs rather than those of us who choose not to vaccinate.

The show doggedly tried to have the programme centred around whether or not dogs get autism. They asked me to find a dog owner who would bring their allegedly autistic dog onto the show. They wanted me to bring my rescue Papillon, George, who shows autistic behaviours. I told the researcher that it would be unfair to bring him from Scotland to London for this. But I did put out messages on Facebook in case there was someone in London who thought their dog had become autistic post vaccination. No-one came forward. The show put its own request out.

I also told the researcher that there is no research to prove that dogs can be made autistic by their vaccines and that I would not argue this point. Autism wasn’t something alleged ‘anti-vaxxers’ in the dog world had ever made much of. We have far more science to support the assertions of autoimmunity, allergies, cancer and brain damage.

Nor was I willing to fly from Scotland to London if this is what the show was to be about. I did, however, tell the researcher that it’s acknowledged that vaccines can cause encephalitis, which means inflammation of the brain with lesions throughout the brain and central nervous system. Therefore vaccines can cause brain damage which can arguably alter behaviour.

Over-vaccination

I emphasised to the researchers that whether or not dogs get autism from their vaccines, the real issue is that vets are over-vaccinating dogs, and that vaccines can cause harm. I referred to World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Guidelines which make it clear that once dogs are immune to the core viral diseases, they remain immune for many years and probably for life.

I told them that there is copious research to support my claims, and that I looked forward to meeting Mr Grant to share this research with him.

The show was scheduled to air on Wednesday, 25th May. Then it was postponed to air on Thursday the 26th, and again to Friday the 27th. Meanwhile Mr Grant had backed out of the show; I’m told it was due to either his own illness or the illness of a family member. I was aware of his withdrawal by Wednesday and they were trying to get a vet to replace him, unsuccessfully, it seems. By Thursday, the day before I was due (again) to fly down from Scotland to London, there was still no vet willing to defend the indefensible.

By Friday the show was cancelled. Apparently ‘they’ wanted to wait until June, when the PDSA was scheduled to release some research.

Whilst I appreciate that rescue organisations believe fervently in vaccination because they see disease in unprotected dogs, there are two issues to consider:

1. Even vaccinated dogs can contract viral and bacterial diseases if their immune systems are not functioning normally. This can be caused by diet and stress, amongst other factors.

2. Dogs don’t need to be vaccinated to develop immunity. In CHC branch VacciCheck clinics, overseen by properly qualified vets, all but two dogs – vaccinated and unvaccinated, and even unvaccinated three-month-old puppies – show titers to the three core diseases. Only two dogs don’t have measurable antibody BUT this doesn’t mean the dogs don’t have protection in memory.

What I would like NOW is for the professional veterinary bodies to stop releasing spurious press releases based upon misinformation, and answer pet owners’ legitimate concerns.

The veterinary profession has been suffering from Vaccine-Associated Ostrich Disease for decades. It is over-vaccinating our pets and individual vets claim they have never seen a vaccine reaction. The problem is, they wouldn’t know a vaccine reaction if it slapped them in the face. As Ron Schultz says, ‘vets are not trained in vaccinology and are therefore not qualified to advise on vaccination’.

LOOK AT THE SCIENCE, PLEASE.

* As a final remark, it’s about time that individuals, professional bodies and charities which concern themselves with healthcare were made by law to make it visible and transparent if they are receiving funding from Big Pharma.

“When you lie to someone, you betray them. You create hell on earth.”

– Jordan Peterson, clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto

In Store: What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines

Vets around the world were advising pet owners to vaccinate their animal companions against disease every year. In the author's opinion, annual vaccination is neither necessary, nor safe.

In the revised, updated edition the author brings fresh information and explains why she feels you can protect your dogs and cats from disease homeopathically, without risking their lives at the same time..